Forbidden Encounters
by Angel of Music lover
Summary: Slight DHr. Between strange conversations and being plowed over by frantic Malfoys, Hermione's night in the Forbidden Forest as her first detention gets just that more interesting. Like she really needed more drama.


**A/N: Wow… so here I am with a second round of Draco/Hermione! I surprise myself. Anyway, this is thanks to my friend, addiedas. If she hadn't bugged me enough to write a second oneshot I would have never even approached this topic again. So here is another entirely unrelated D/Hr oneshot taking place in First Year when Harry and Co. plus Draco have to go into the Forbidden Forest. Again, as a warning, nothing much really happens between the two. Just a whole lot of feelings. xD Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, thanks for asking.**

"Scared Malfoy?" the tiny brunette asked, eyes arched up coyly, hair frizzed out wildly. The blonde that she had been speaking to whipped his head around to glare at her in response. She held back a snort of amusement and instead turned her nose up with a sniff. "You _are_ the one that got us into this mess," Hermione reminded and Draco rolled his eyes but didn't respond.

Hermione waited patiently for a comeback but when none came she grew a little exasperated.

"Lost your tongue Malfoy? I thought you would have more to say than nothing at all," Hermione snapped. Malfoy rolled his eyes again and tilted his head back to examine her.

"There you go being snobbish again," he sneered and turned his head away. Hermione frowned, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. What was he blathering about?

"Snobbish?" she asked, genuinely bewildered. In fact, the rarely seen expression on her face nearly caused Draco to laugh cruelly at her. Instead, he opted for sarcasm.

"Well you're always so modest about your brains," Draco drawled. "In fact, I bet I wouldn't even know you had any talent if the teacher's didn't force you to raise your hand every now and then in class." Hermione's frown faded into a scowl and she turned abruptly away from her nemesis.

"It doesn't take a brain to notice that you're scared out of your mind," she retorted, nearly wiping the satisfied smirk off Draco's face.

"It's not fear," he protested, "I'm just so revolted that we should have to be punished in the _Forbidden Forest_!" Draco opened his mouth to continue his rant before to his utter surprise the bucktoothed wonder next to him filled in his next thoughts.

"Your father will be _so_ upset to hear it. Yes, we know," Hermione snapped. Where were Ron and Harry?? She was starting to get annoyed and a little uncomfortable. It was Draco's turn to raise his eyebrows.

"You memorizing my words now Mudblood?" Draco asked with barely contained amusement. Hermione blushed, despite the fact that she knew it wasn't true and that Malfoy was just trying to get to her.

"It's not my fault that you say it all the time," she muttered, though her embarrassment was shining through. She was thoroughly distraught though when suddenly Draco began to laugh, a high cruel laugh. "What?" she asked, looking at him through narrowed eyes.

"Are you always this innocent acting?" Draco finally asked through laughter, eyes grinning maliciously down at Hermione. She fidgeted, unsure of how to answer the question.

"Innocent?" she asked evenly, trying not to betray her embarrassed and confused emotions. She was almost sure Draco was going to make a doe-eyed expression to imitate her own wide brown eyes. But before he had the chance Hermione was saved by her two new best friends. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had _finally_ decided to come to her rescue.

"What are you up to Malfoy?" Ron snapped, moving close to Hermione. Harry chose not to say anything but also moved protectively to Hermione's side. She could have hugged the both of them. Being alone with Malfoy had been… strange. Different. She didn't like it.

"None of your business!" Malfoy fired back and grew more menacing. Hermione hadn't noticed how relaxed he had been just talking to her. "I was having a conversation thanks!" Hermione gave a little laugh and shook her head.

"More like an insult fest," she disagreed. Yet she noticed that Draco seemed to hold back a laugh when he looked at her and she couldn't help but remember what he had said. That she looked innocent.

Stupid boy.

The three were just about to get into it when Hagrid lumbered up, wiping away stray tears that had fallen into his beard. The loss of his new dragon, Norbert, had really hit him hard and Hagrid had been sobbing for the past hour or so. It seemed that he was finally ready to help the four students fulfill their detention in the Forbidden Forest.

"C'mon, got lots ter do," he encouraged gruffly and the students fell into silence besides the occasional glare at each other. Hagrid noticed their awkward silence and shook his head. "Well ain't you all a lively bunch," he muttered but led the way despite it all, lantern hanging ominously before him.

………………………………………..

"So… Malfoy wasn't trying to kill you or anything?" Ron asked as the two students looked uselessly for something that probably wasn't even there.

"No, he was actually somewhat civil. For Malfoy that is," Hermione explained, no longer even bothering to look for the object Hagrid desired. Ron laughed but soon their conversation lapsed into awkward silence once more.

It seemed hours since the friends had broken up into two groups to search different areas of the forest. Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid himself went in one direction while Harry and Draco went off in another. Apparently Hagrid held higher stock in finding a wounded unicorn than keeping the students safe. Not that it entirely surprised Hermione, but she knew he had the best of intentions.

A wolf cried in the distance. Hermione shivered and stepped a little closer to the incredibly tall man.

Okay, so maybe Hagrid had really mucked it up this time. Sure, Harry and Draco had Hagrid's dog Fang but what sort of protection was he? The big beast would probably run away at first sign of danger and leave the two eleven year olds defenseless. Though Hermione was certain that Draco had no knowledge of this since he was the one who practically snatched Fang away before he and Harry disappeared. Maybe he should visit Hagrid more. The he would know all about Hagrid's dog.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness of her thoughts before growing worried again. Luckily, Ron was standing right next to her looking just as afraid and concerned as she. That was one less to worry about. Just two… one left to fear for. Harry.

As she was thinking this Hermione saw something… or heard it rather. A rustling, crashing noise. It sounded like someone was rushing desperately through the forest towards them but failing miserably. Ron heard it too and reached into his robes for his wand feebly. Hagrid also turned and drew his crossbow (something that Hermione previously thought absurd but was now very thankful for) just as Hermione herself rolled her eyes and drew her wand instead. Ron was still fumbling for his with nervous fingers.

The moment was now. It was time for the small group to face whatever they had to face, no matter the cost. Ron and Hermione's hearts hammered in their chests and Ron finally found his wand, though he dropped it again. And then whatever it was arrived.

Fang dashed into the group… rather anticlimactic. Hermione felt her heart drop a foot or two though as her body relaxed and the sudden decline of adrenaline left her body weak. Fang had left Harry and Draco… something bad must have happened. Tears were stinging the back of her eyes as despair washed over her like a wave. Hagrid, however, lowered his crossbow and welcomed the trembling, barking Fang into his arms, checking him over for signs of damage.

And then to everyone's surprise, Draco Malfoy stumbled up to them right after Fang. The group gaped for a moment as he wildly thrashed towards them, looking very un-Malfoy like. In fact, he was so disconcerted that he ran smack into Hermione, who had inched towards the front of the group to look at Fang as well. And he fell right on her with his dirty, sweaty, leaf covered body like a freight train, completely knocking the wind out of Miss Granger. And as they made contact they both felt several things that were strange. For Hermione, it was meeting the ground so suddenly that threw her so off guard. For Draco, it was the fact that he had run right into something solid but easily knocked over (not to mention very hairy). But they both felt a tremendous shock pass through their bodies. It wasn't an especially powerful zap but it definitely contained a certain amount of power, leaving them breathless. It was entirely new, unexpected feeling and they were temporarily dazed and confused, unresponsive to the events that had just taken place.

They weren't dazed for long though because Hermione's brain managed to take in the situation much quicker than Draco's.

"Malfoy!" she screeched, pushing him off her with a steady thrust of her forearms, trembling with what she convinced herself to be rage. Draco was quick to respond though and sprang off of her with what seemed to be a disgusted look on his face though he was a good degree paler than before.

Ron immediately reached down and pulled on Hermione's elbow, helping her lift from the ground. She didn't even bother to thank him though because with her newly awakened senses she realized what the appearance of Fang and Malfoy meant.

"Where's Harry?" she demanded, looking livid.

"How did you get here?" Hagrid asked, overlapping Hermione's question. Malfoy seemed to prefer Hagrid's question (despite his own opinion that Hagrid was a miserable oaf) and answered that one instead of Hermione's.

"Followed Fang," he tried to say with even breath though his eyes were still bugged out as if something had terrified him and his breath still came out in large huffs.

"Where's Harry?" Hermione demanded again. Draco looked at her with a weary expression on his face but pointed behind him.

"There was something back there… something horrible," Draco panted and everyone could see his hand trembling. They all pretended like they didn't notice, for his sake. "It was cloaked and it was… _feeding _off a Unicorn," Draco explained, terror still fresh on his face.

Hagrid yelped and jumped to his feet, looking utterly shocked.

"You left 'im there?" he roared, suddenly looking dangerous and wild. Draco shrank a few centimeters, obviously worn down enough to have the decency to do so.

"I panicked," Draco said lamely, trying to look as unconcerned as he usually was. "I'm sure Potter can defend himself." Ron seemed to look ready to take a swing at Malfoy's pointed face but Hermione thrust out her hands, stopping him. Once Ron was restrained, she turned and sent one of her first truly icy glares. It was directed at Draco.

"I expected it of Fang… I should have expected it from you," Hermione whispered, looking genuinely saddened. Draco hardly seemed ashamed though he was trying hard to not let on how the words had actually bombarded his usually tough shell.

"He's not far from here," Draco said quietly, looking as cool as always. "Better hurry."

"Well, come on!" Ron exclaimed, tugging gently on Hermione's elbow again and soon the three (Hagrid, Hermione, and Ron) were rushing in the direction Draco pointed in. Draco looked after them, seeming to be unwilling to follow them again in a wild chase but the same wolf Hermione heard howled somewhere close by. He was willing to run after them.

……………………………………

Nearly twenty minutes later the group finally escaped from the forest. Harry was unscathed… a centaur had come and saved him at the last minute.

"Dumb luck," Draco had said about it later. "Ridiculously dumb luck." Hermione had rolled her eyes but tried not to smile. It wouldn't do to support the boy who had just abandoned her best friend to what could have been You-Know-Who.

Now though, they were finally headed to the castle in relief. Hagrid had headed off to his hut biding them all goodnight.

"Stay out of trouble, hear?" he had said before waving them all off to the castle. "Go ter bed for once instead 'o' gettin' in trouble." The trio couldn't help but readily agree.

As Ron and Harry quickened their pace though Hermione felt someone grab her wrist from behind, catching her entirely off guard. She gasped as she whirled around, not having time to gather her wand. Then she saw a pair of glittering gray eyes and suppressed a groan.

"Scared Granger?" Draco asked, echoing Hermione's previous words earlier that night. Hermione just yanked her wrist away in disgust and then crossed both arms across her chest.

"What is it?" she asked coldly. "Come to call me names?" Draco grinned before shaking his head.

"As enjoyable as that is, I just came to say you need to watch yourself." Hermione's breath involuntarily hitched as she pondered what Draco could have meant. Was it a threat? She looked over to where Harry and Ron were, just a little ways away and looking behind them at her. Another surge of love came from Hermione to the two. She barely knew them but she knew they were there for her.

"Stop speaking nonsense. Tell me what you wanted to say." Draco seemed to hesitate, looking her over warily. Hermione thought he was sizing her up.

"You really shouldn't be running into Malfoys in strange forests," he finally retorted, all signs of hesitation gone. "It would go badly for you." Hermione just gave a little laugh.

"And _you_ shouldn't be running into _me_ in the Forbidden Forest. Especially since I could perform any number of curses on you," she responded before turning away. "Have a nice night Malfoy." Before she could leave though Malfoy's voice called her back.

"Granger!" he called, once again looking hesitant. Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation but turned back.

"What idiocy do you have for me _now_?" she asked but there was a hint of amusement. It was a very small underlying emotion, nothing more.

Draco was hidden in the darkness, his features hardly visible anymore to Hermione. She didn't know why but not being able to see his cool attitude written on his face made her anxious.

"What was it like, falling to the ground?" Malfoy finally asked, a smirk underlying the words. But to Hermione she could just see what he might be suggesting… might actually be asking. But she couldn't see him. She couldn't tell for sure.

"It was painful," she said simply and was about to leave but turned on her heel to add one more statement. "And it was infuriating." Satisfied that this was the best way to answer Hermione decided she would turn the tables. "And you?"

But Draco never responded.

Hermione shrugged at him and walked away, all previous confusing thoughts gone from her mind. She was eager to catch up with Ron and Harry, feeling almost guilty for just leaving them to talk to Malfoy. Of all people to waste air on she had to pick the most worthless.

And Draco followed her in the dark to the castle.

**A/N: I think this one was slightly less weird than my last one… and has more of a point. xD Please review!!! I would looooove suggestions from experienced D/Hr readers/writers or from anyone who is also new to the ship. Thanks!**

**Oh, and again, Hermione/Draco is NOT my ship of choice. Ron/Hermione and Harry/Ginny are my main favorite ships. I just thought that trying this particular pairing might be oodles of fun. **


End file.
